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State Senator Ted Lieu Earns Environmental Kudos From Sierra Club

Courtesy Photo

State Senator Ted W. Lieu.

Posted Nov. 19, 2013, 8:13 am

Mitch James / Mirror Contributor

State Sen. Ted W. Lieu, who represents Santa Monica and parts of the South Bay, has been given a 90-percent score by the Sierra Club, a rating that was not exceeded by any other lawmaker in the 120-member Legislature, for his votes during the recently completed 2013 session of the Legislature.

Two fellow Democratic senators, Loni Hancock of Berkeley and Bill Monning of Carmel, also received 90-percent scores.

“For the second time in a week, I am honored by an environmental watchdog group for recognizing my efforts to protect the environment,” Lieu said after the Sierra Club’s rating, which followed a recent 100-percent rating by the California League of Conservation Voters. “As anyone who follows public policy knows, California’s environmental health continues to pose serious challenges, and I look forward to rolling up my sleeves to protect our state for our children.”

The Sierra Club said it evaluated legislators’ environmental record based on 11 bills and their overall importance to environmental quality, the precedent they set for good or bad impacts, and their importance to fulfilling the Sierra Club’s mission to protect the planet.

“It’s no secret that this year was a tough one for environmental legislation,” said Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California. “This report card just confirms that with numbers.”

In the Assembly, the highest score was an 89 percent by Bonnie Lowenthal, D-Long Beach.

A large number of legislators of both parties earned scores of less than 60 percent.

Lieu had more than two dozen measures adopted or signed into law this year, including renewal of his successful 2009 law to remove pollution-spewing abandoned vessels from state waterways. The program has been widely praised by boating and law enforcement officials for cleaning the environment while saving taxpayer dollars.

His other measures improved public safety, protected consumers and helped create middle-class careers.

The son of immigrants who moved to the U.S., Lieu grew up helping his family run gift stores while attending school and later served as a JAG officer in the Air Force, where he remains in the active reserves with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Lieu is a graduate of Stanford and Georgetown University Law Center.